Mindful Supervision: Trauma-informed Tools and Practices

February 8

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Using research from the field of interpersonal neurobiology, the workshop invites participants to review traditional beliefs about clinical supervision—which emphasize support, monitoring, and fidelity to practice models—and to update them. Participants learn to cultivate mindful attention during supervision, to bring an attuned awareness of the brain-body dialogue to their 1:1s and groups, and to maximize rewards and minimize threats hard-wired into any relationship with an authority figure.

Most practitioners seeking supervision or consultation have significant exposure to the trauma stories of their clients. Integrating mindful habits into the supervisory relationship activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which both calms the agitated brain and buffers against vicarious trauma. Mindful supervision enhances creativity and critical thinking, unblocks learning, increases intentional use of the supervisory relationship, and enhances whole body wisdom essential to trauma-informed care and healing.

The workshop also introduces a new model for clinical case consultation that integrates mindful practices and intentional use of the supervisory relationship.